Tomato Bisque

Another thing we've been getting a lot of in our CSA is tomatoes and I've also been wracking my brain to figure out what to do with them all. Sarah and I love creamy tomato soups but I've never had enough fresh tomatoes just lying around to try one out. So here goes...

Roasted Tomato Bisque

Ingredients:

A Bunch of tomatoes, skinned
(To skin tomatoes, score an X on the bottom side after having washed them, then dunk the tomatoes a few at a time into boiling water. Boil for about 15 seconds then scoop them out and dunk them in ice water. This will shock the skin right off the meat of the tomato, leaving you to peel it off like you would off a banana.)

Boiling water for 15 seconds.

Ice water for 15 seconds.

Then peel off the skin, leaving the meat.

6 garlic cloves, left unpeeled and uncrushed
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1 medium onion, diced (here's a good way to dice an onion)
1 or 2 sticks celery
2 tsp. sugar
2 Tbs. butter
1 Tbs. flour
3 cups veggie stock
1/2 cup cream or milk
pinch baking soda

Start by halving the tomatoes and arranging them cut side up in a baking dish with the garlic. Drizzle all with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast in a 350 degree oven for about 30 to 40 minutes or until the tops of the tomatoes begin to brown and the garlic is soft when you poke it. When done, remove the garlic from their husks and mash in a bowl or mortar.

Cook the onion in a large pot in the butter over very low heat for at least 10 minutes. More time on the stove will not hurt the onion and will add deeper flavor to the soup. When you feel that you've given the onion enough time, add the celery, oregano, and cloves. Sautee for 30 seconds or so. Then add 2 tsp. sugar and cook until it begins to caramelize.

Add in the roasted tomatoes, mashed garlic, and stock and simmer, covered, for about 20 minutes. Before adding the cream, add a pinch of baking soda to the soup to bring the pH closer to neutral. This will keep the acid of the tomato from curdling the cream when it is added to the soup with the flour.

So, after fizzing the soup, either run it through a food mill or blender it with a stick blender until smooth. Warm the cream over the stove for a minute or two. Remove from heat and wisk in the flour until completely encorporated. Add this mixture to the soup and bring it all back to a boil. Simmer, uncovered, another 5 minutes.

Serve with cheesy toast.